“七月流火”与北豳物候俗解

"Qiyue Liuhuo" and the climate of Beibin

"七月流火"是《诗经·豳风·七月》中的名句,历来解释"火"为心宿之大火星,"流"为向西偏下。其意是言七月大火星向西偏下预示七月天已寒凉,是古代天文现象的真实记录。但据《七月》产地北豳的物候特征及《诗经》对"火"字的运用体例考量,以直觉通俗的眼光释"七月流火"为七月天热得像下火像着火,非但与豳地气候相应而未尝不可,或许与古诗的原貌更为切贴。

'Qiye Liuhuo' is a well-known phrase from the poem July in the collection of Binfeng in The Book of Songs . In the phrase, the word 'huo' has been explained as the Mars and 'liu' as setting westwards. So the phrase means the setting Mars foretells the weather is getting cooler in July. This, of course, can be seen as the record of ancient climate changes. However, if taking into consideration of the origin of the phrases and the usage of the word 'huo' in The Book of songs , one can find that the phrase can be best explained as the weather is scorching in July as if it were raining fire or the ground were on fire. Such explanation agrees with the climate in the place and perhaps best keeps the original meaning of the poem.